


A Penny For Perception

by TotallyHuman



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: -Ish, A Lighthearted Shendak fic, Accidental Falling In Love, Alternate Universe - Business Rivals, Background Plot, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Size Kink, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-11 08:02:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8971135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TotallyHuman/pseuds/TotallyHuman
Summary: Shiro and Sendak are business rivals first, and dating second. Even if Shiro's a bit late to that party.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KaijuDork](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaijuDork/gifts).



> Don't mind the title, I'm bad at them. Also, I couldn't find a beta, so it's revised and edited by only myself - please be forgiving, is what I'm saying.
> 
> But anyways, I tried to do the 'accidental falling in love' but it's more of a 'belated realization of attraction' and I'm sorry for that//
> 
> The smut comes in the last chapter fyi and there's no break-ups or angst really, except for some super mild stuff at the v beginning - not even revolving around Shendak.

“We should be making the big G.E. come to us,” Lance stated lazily from where he sat. Which was in Allura’s fancy swivel chair, behind her desk, that Lance had taken upon himself to keep warm while she was on her feet.

“We _should_ ignore their stupid pity meeting and shove it in their face once we land our major clients,” contributed Keith derisively from a proper guest chair. Shiro couldn’t help but smile at both of their sentiment.

Lance and Keith didn’t know better. They didn’t know Galra Enterprises, not like Allura and himself. Galra Enterprises: conglomerate monster. They - and by ‘they’ Shiro meant Zarkon, it’s founder and ultimate god entity - were ruthless. The corporation didn’t just have footholds but entire strongholds built up in military, cyber and otherwise-security, experimental tech - everything Voltron would soon be vying openly for ground in. And Galra Enterprises had a reputation for grinding competitors to dust before they could so much as suggest giving Galra a run for it’s money.

What may be worse is that Voltron - this team Shiro and Allura had cobbled together preposterously - could do it, he thought. He believed. Even if the executives were a bunch of young adults under supervision of Allura and Shiro. And Pidge, but she was more of a secret weapon - which she disclosed that she thought was clever and enjoyed.  

Together they were making so many strides that Shiro hadn’t really bargained quite possible at the start, not that he had let that small thought impede his efforts. After all, they were currently in an actual business space, a meeting with Galra Enterprises booked. Three months ago they were in Allura’s mansion with only a mess of blueprints, parts, and concepts to constitute Voltron. 6 months before that Allura’s father had been pronounced dead during his overnight stay at the hospital, leaving a young woman without either parent and a lot of money that couldn’t buy the only thing she wanted.

At the time, Shiro had only been mildly acquainted with her through working with Alfor, well enough to be friends - casual acquaintances - but not _friends_. Although he turned out to be the only one with enough empathy and distress over her father’s death to visit with her. And so he did, again, and again, and again. After three months of their vague friendship delving head-first into intimate confidantes, Shiro even moved in with her, since it had only been she and Coran after her father’s death. It was a good thing, if a bit co-dependent and fast-paced. But even without the foundation of mourning comfort, they were really quite fine tuned to each other as friends. Shiro had never had one like her, that he enjoyed so wholeheartedly and deeply. He liked to think she felt the same.

“Nothing so extreme,” Shiro soothed as he looked at the others, “this is more of a formality, probably.”

“A formality is correct, Shiro. This is only Galra attempting to weed us out.” Allura acknowledged as she turned from her bookcase to address them, oddly happy and determined. Shiro relished in how she’s moving on from her mourning. “They think we’ll roll over when we come face to face, since I denied their e-mails as being indolent and really rather lame if they’re looking to solicit my business.”

Coran chimed in with: “Yes, with their superior power, influence, connections, and money they surely think that they can just stamp us into oblivion - “ the look of proud on Coran’s face did not infect the others as they stared blankly at their chief of security. After a second he finally noticed and righted himself, “Which they'll never accomplish, of course! Look at this team, I mean,” Coran proclaimed, pointing out each person as he labelled them:

Lance: “A current college Sophomore who failed the entrance exam three times - “

Keith: “A hot-headed college dropout - “

Hunk: “A large, gaseous engineering foodie -”

Pidge: “Our twelve year old - “

“Hey, I’m fifteen!” she interjected indignantly.

“Our _fourteen_ year old head of R &D -”

Coran’s brown twitched as he furrowed it with intensity, “They’ll never see us coming!”

Silence pushed its way between all of them as they reflected over Coran’s failed attempt at raising their spirits. Which had been higher before said attempt, even if Coran meant well. It was a good thing Coran was nothing short of an uncle to Allura for how long he had been a personal hand and close friend of her father’s. Since Allura’s childhood, he’s gathered.

“ ‘M mean…” Lance spoke up, slumped down in Allura’s chair and toying with one of her desk knick knacks, a small porcelain mouse, “you worked for them, didn’t you, Shiro? Do you think they can blast us out’f the water?”

All eyes turned to him, even Allura - the one spearheading the whole company and arguably the strongest of them - was looking at him with an basal degree of anticipation. “I…” began Shiro. But what? For a few seconds his thoughts wavered as he burned with the expectant looks boring into him. They really needed him. Prodigies or not, Shiro had to be a figurehead as much as Allura, even moreso should Allura inevitably falter - and vice versa for himself. As Shiro recognized this, he stood up straight from where he leaned against the wall and squared his shoulders, “Yes, yes I did. And I’m not going to lie. I saw some strongly built companies try to go against Galra, and fail tremendously.” he saw their expressions waver behind their thin and youthful veils of strength and composure and took a breath, “But none of them were like us. None of them had _you._ Any and all of you. Trust me when I say that that is everything. No matter what it may seem like on the outside, the sheer talent and force driving us is more than formidable. We can - _we will_ \- rise against Galra Enterprises and be a corporation for good.”

Allura smiled, warm and and gorged in adoration and humble confidence. The team exchanged smiles, smirks, Pidge a menacing snicker and Coran nodded in affirmation.

Chatter broke out amongst them all and some joke led to Pidge and Hunk dramatically acting out explosions while they all laughed and Shiro felt more than ever the way this team had scraped and molded itself into a family.

 

* * *

 

 

The next day, Shiro and Allura are suited up in the expensive cruiser escorting them to the Galra Enterprises business office. Where their so-called ‘formality’ of a meeting is to take place.

It would be a lie for Shiro to hold that he wasn’t nervous. In fact, he’d caught himself clenching his hands into anxious fists so much that he considered dreadfully returning to his old habit-dissipating practices.

The material of the elegant formal attire Shiro wore was peculiar, it felt smooth against his skin and breathed easy but was thick to the touch. It was a luxury outfit, provided by Allura in a black and white color scheme.

The Galra Enterprises office they arrived at was a veritable skyscraper. Voltron’s was too, a repurposed office her father had built several years ago, but Galra’s was massive. No doubt it shot fear into many a person who approached it intending to be on the opposite side of the table from Galra representatives.

Allura sucked in a breath and spared only a small look for Shiro as she stepped out of the vehicle, the door held open by the driver until Shiro exited behind her.

Inside the building was a vaulted ceiling space extending for what could be twenty or thirty stories. There are several staircases and four elevators, a waiting space, signs and directories list a food court and an actual court - Shiro had to do a double take on his surroundings just to process it all. He sucked up the awe though and approached the front desk with Allura where an alien attendant sits. Most Galra employees were alien; it was well known that Galra had a penchant for turning away most humans who applied for work with them. Shiro had been lucky… he had thought, anyways.

The desk clerk turned four lidded, bemused eyes on them and asked of they had an appointment.

Upon arriving on the fortieth floor, Allura and Shiro were greeted by a young alien - an intern, if their antsy exuberance in the face of their menial task was any indication - to be shown where the meeting was.

The conference room was empty. It was a constrained space with one wall of windows where the hallway leading out into the array of other offices was visible. Despite the cramped feeling it evoked, the air was oddly crisp rather than stale and stuffy like some other office buildings tending to be. A long table encumbered the space and left only a thin strip of floor to walk around the table to wherever your respective seat may be. It was clear that nothing but business would be discussed there and had a dismal effect. It made Shiro appreciate the liveliness of his office space with the others.

The fact that the representatives hadn’t been there to meet them meant that Galra was making them wait. Probably to set a tone of dependence; Voltron would abide by the Galra Enterprises time even if Galra had sought them out. They were the bigger, better business that led and did not follow.

“Arrogant,” surmised Shiro as the conference room door clicked shut behind them in the intern’s wake after they asked if the two of them wanted coffee, perhaps a bagel. Allura’s expression was steely and strong, and Shiro could feel the confidence radiating off of her.

“Don’t worry,” Allura said in a tone that matched her demeanor, “They only think we’re like the rest. It’ll just make our refusal more insulting, since they want to play this game.” The glint in her eyes reflected Shiro’s smirk and he knew the fact they both had in mind: Voltron was like _nothing_ else.

 

 

They resolved to not sit until the representatives arrived, instead making small talk. Nothing about Voltron, of course. It was common sense not to discuss internal affairs in the enemy’s headquarters. They talk about the mansion, converting some of the west wing into office space where they and the others could work. They talk about Coran’s cooking and how bad it is, how Allura’s could have ever stomached it and they share a laugh softly.

When who could only be the Galra representatives approached, however, the two of them drew themselves up and assumed the seriousness the situation implored from them.

Thank god Shiro had done so, or else he might have looked quite dumbfounded when the representatives entered the room. Although, Shiro quickly connected that one was clearly higher ranking than the other, who was more of a personal assistant.

It was Sendak. _The_ Sendak: the one whose name had been only whispered with rumors of fright and admiration when Shiro had worked for the company, so long ago. Why he was the one meeting them was beyond Shiro. Not that Allura seemed to notice as she met his yellow eyes gaze and shook his hand.

Sendak was far taller than any picture anyone had ever painted. A scar over his right eye. He wore elegant attire that seemed to be not so far off from Allura and his own, and Shiro figures it’s likely a sort of decorum that the style was worn by corporate heads. Sendak's was a color scheme of purple and orange that Shiro was sure shouldn’t work as good together as it does on the alien, who was broad beyond broad and as towering as the skyscraper they were in. And then there was his arm. It was cut off at the shoulder and a massive, lethal-looking prosthetic attached. It wasn’t against the law, and Galra did specialize in weaponization in a variety of aspects, but to see an executive sporting such a product was unexpected. Perhaps that was why he was sent after Allura’s headstrong e-mail comments, as a scare tactic.

“Indeed,” Sendak rumbled as he released Allura's hand, dark and suave, “and you must be Takashi Shirogane.” Yellow eyes fixed on Shiro as he returned to his right mind and realized Sendak was holding out his hand, expecting Shiro to shake as well. He did, craning his head to meet Sendak’s eyes. Sendak’s hand was entirely disproportionate to Shiro’s, and very warm. 

  
  


It’s a simple affair to follow. Shiro and Allura took their chairs across from Sendak and his assistant, Haxus, who looked rather displeased to be dealing with the situation. Even if Sendak seemed more amused than anything, which was grating on Shiro’s nerves beneath his composure.

They weren’t jesters, laid out before Galra to dance and entertain their large and menacing executives.

“Let’s make this clear cut then, shall we?” Sendak finally said after a short lull when they all settled. Allura’s hands were clasped not in prayer but judgement in front of Sendak, and Shiro rested his own plainly on the table top after resisting the habit of crossing his arms over his chest.

Allura nodded. “Preferably,” she mused in a low tone that Shiro had never quite heard before. Serious business called for a serious tone, and Allura did that as well as her father had. He can see him in her now.

“We’re prepared to offer you a million for you business, plus a quarter million per each of its assets,” Sendak spoke like he was bargaining, though it was clear he thought he was a divine hand offering a proposition so generous it was worthy of a shrine. It was written on his face and in his eyes.

Maybe Shiro was just focusing too much on Sendak’s face and hyperbolizing everything. The reflecrion made Shiro’s stomach - chest? - stir.

Haxus pulled a slip of paper from his folder in hand and slid it across the table to Allura, who inspected it for a second before turning her eyes back up to Sendak.

“You’re used to winning these ‘negotiations,’ Sendak - “ Shiro spoke up. Regardless of his earlier thought, Shiro continued to eye Sendak relentlessly - their line of sight meeting as Shiro began, “Your company may have thrived on its imperious, high-handed method of buying out any potential competitors and stealing their work, but not this time.”

Shiro only needed to make his point, keeping his expression cold as a slab of concrete. Sendak had one brow raised at Shiro’s statement, as if he was impressed.

“Didn’t you used to be employed for Galra Enterprises?” Sendak asked with only the barest hint of intrigue and an overwhelming amount of smugness. Shiro’s eyes went wide for a second, and it looked as though Sendak was suppressing a laugh of sorts. He should have been prepared for the evidence to be shoved back at him, but it still felt like a shock to his system. The next second he had recovered, ready to fight back, Allura took responsibility.

With a svelte gesture and her regal voice sharpened to an edge, she continued on, “The _point_ , Sendak - is not Mr. Shirogane’s history, but that he and I are running Voltron. And not only does Voltron reject your offer and any others you could make, but consider this a formal declaration of war. You will not be rid of us, and we will no longer allow you to leech off other businesses and dominate so poisonously.”

Haxus bristled visible beside Sendak.

“ _Voltron_ is a pathetic start-up company that won’t survive any longer than the others. You’ll just go down much harder. You’re not special,” his words dripped like venom from his lips, “you’re naive and short-sighted and - “

Sendak raised his hand and with the motion and Haxus stifled himself on cue, clamming up but looking like he was about to burst with irritation as he glowered at Allura.

Sendak’s teeth bared with his smile as he took a stand. “Well, then I suppose we’re finished here, yes? Unless you have any more insults you would like to lay on the table,” he jeered.

“I think we all know you laid out the first insult, Sendak,” Shiro bluntly said. It was veritable, they all know. Sendak’s offer was a disgusting show of disrespect from Galra. However, Shiro is surprised Sendak didn’t try to give an inch more, to try and trick Voltron into thinking they had gotten a mile.

Sendak’s yellow eyes appraised Shiro once more after he delivered the blow for several seconds before he returned a surprisingly respectful bow of his head to Allura and held out his hand, “It was, truly, a delight to make your acquaintance. I can’t wait to see how much fun this is.” Haxus scrunched his nose and rolled his eyes behind Sendak and Shiro thought that he might as well tug one lower eyelid and stick his tongue out since he acted like such a child.

 


	2. Chapter 2

_Two Weeks Later_

 

At fifteen to noon and Shiro was caught off guard by the time he checked his clock. In under two minutes, he ground his work to a halt and shut everything off, just stepping out of his office in a  hurry.

Lance was strutting out of the elevator when Shiro jammed the button to call it it and bustled past him with an apology; Shiro was practically buzzing when Lance passed him and only had the first few letters of his interrogation on the tip of his tongue by the time Shiro had the elevator doors with a half assed (Lance would know), “Tell Allura I’ll be back soon!”

Instead, Lance turned to Coran with a look that prompted Coran to explain the best he could, “He said he was going to get coffee.” The man shrugged his shoulders and Lance pouted at being left in the dust.

  


* * *

 

The coffee shop is more small-time than the setting he would have expected Galra to choose, for some reason.

No, it’s just a simple, quaint space of beige and pale green with pastel accent decor. It made Shiro feel silly for wearing the same business formal attire that meetings called for. He hadn’t foretold that Galra would set this up to be more casual. But he was already there.

Thankfully the insecurity of having worn the outfit dissipated when Sendak appeared from the back office of the coffee shop wearing his awfully well-fitted orange and purple drapes as well.

Sendak didn’t walk so much as swagger up to Shiro, and looked as pleased as a lion fresh from a successful hunt. Shiro kept his expression trained as he met Sendak’s gaze, trying to decipher him as much as possible. There was no fault in knowing your enemy. That’s why Shiro was here - for Voltron.

The past two weeks, since Allura and his meeting with Sendak for Galra, they’ve been trading emails. It started when Sendak sent word that Galra Enterprises wanted to apologize to President Allura on behalf of the unprofessional outburst from his assistant, Haxus. Shiro had turned off his computer at the sight of it and spent the rest of the day in R&D, observing Pidge and Hunk’s new project. It was only at 7pm, when most of the others had vacated the building, that Shiro had worked himself up to type up a reply - something along the lines of clipped. Shiro could admit he thought it sounded white-collar.

To his surprise, Sendak had replied almost immediately. A thought Shiro was glad he lacked the impulsivity to add to his countering reply when he remembered that email could be accessed anywhere and at anytime.

They traded questions that had stayed on the topic of their business, but never anything intrusive. Over the next week - then two weeks - they sometimes strayed from the general tangent, but it hung heavily over their exchanges. Shiro always kept guarded, refusing to let up on any detail of their actual work. There was absolutely no way Sendak wasn’t trying to coax information from Shiro, so he stayed aware to the point of paranoid every time. The suspicion never ceased, but none of the others ever brought up receiving an email from Galra, so Shiro figured that it was good Sendak was staying focused on him. If it were Lance, for example, Shiro would worry he might slip up - or break entirely if Galra approached him with more interrogative means.

So it was for the benefit of the team and keeping their concentration intact that Shiro continued to chat with and indulge Sendak, and keep quiet about doing so. They didn’t need the distraction.

“I’m glad you could make it, Mr. Shirogane.” Sendak said in his usual tone, halfway between an intimidating drawl and mockery.

Shiro can already feel his face heat with how much he _doesn’t like Sendak_.

“As if I could reject such an invitation.” Shiro said with a hint of sarcasm.

After all, Sendak is - well, _Sendak_. Plenty of people hate the man, borderline-line libel analyses and discussion boards detail groups of peoples' contempt for the man. Even when Shiro was a part of Galra, where more people entertained… _raunchy_ ideas about Sendak, people would note his iron fist, his ability to subterfuge and tear apart deals and people ruthlessly.

 

Sendak ordered a caramel frappuccino with no whipped cream. Shiro took his with soy milk and a shot of espresso. He had to return to work, after all.

For a moment, as they picked out a two seat table in the back corner, Shiro was in a parallel universe. One where he stayed with Galra and rose in the ranks, became someone important - important enough to wear high-fashion business clothes and get coffee with Sendak, the man whose very existence shakes interns to their toes at the drop of his name. The daydream flashed through Shiro’s mind and left whiplash that he rushed to blink away, grateful either that Sendak didn’t notice or pretended not to.

“Ah, I do enjoy _talking shop_ with you, Shirogane,” Sendak mused idly, making Shiro shift and narrow his eyes on him.

“President Allura is much better at it,” Shiro returned, “but that’s the point, right?”

“Oh no,” Sendak’s voice lilted and Shiro’s brow furrowed, “it’s the _dance_. It’s _always_ the dance. Every time.” Sendak’s large shoulders shake with the minute fit of laughter and Shiro can’t stop the way his eyebrows raise. The air here, in the coffee shop, he realized: it was lighter and much sweeter. Everything there had such a different tone than it did in the stale grey of the conference room, it was throwing Shiro off. He had to keep his head screwed on, no matter how friendly Sendak may seem.

Shiro cleared his throat and absently tapped his fingers against his warm cup. “I’m… not the best dancer.” The words were twinged with what bemusement Shiro could force up as he figured he should. But it _is_ forced, and they’re in a coffee shop, and Sendak is smiling and while it’s still smug, it isn’t quite as predatory as it was two weeks ago.  


Time is odd. For example: Shiro thought he worked with Galra for 6 months at the most, when he looked back at it. In fact, the Galra files confirmed that Shiro had spent an entire year there and had been encouraged in the file as a productive and promising intern. Sendak reviewed his files after the failed negotiations, and even slid the file, printed out, to Shiro for him to keep - and he did keep it, feeling a bit of guilt for how much time he spent there and uncomfortable for the excess that Shiro felt for displaying embarrassment about his past employment to someone who heads the company and offered to put the coffee on his tab.

It’s 3 o’clock by the time Shiro returned to the office.  

  
Coran had an eyebrow raised as he Shiro left the elevator and Shiro could only offer an awkward smile in repayment for letting him slid by without a real callout.


	3. Chapter 3

Allura was in a fit when she and Shiro were returning from an investor meeting.

The company had shown a heavy interest in the prototype sneak peaks that Pidge had sent them on Allura’s orders. The company was well-known, successful -  and also partnered with G.E., which meant that stealing business from their god-tier rival would be a massive victory for a ‘naive start-up’ enterprise like Voltron. It would allow them to get a foothold in the industry and start being recognized as an impressive player.

The deal had the whole team electrified with hope to the point of zealous buzzing among them this morning. Even Shiro couldn’t help being smiley with excitement as they all fretted about the presentation. Allura and Shiro decided to bring Hunk to help present the work, so they were especially antsy.

So it was a low blow when the company hesitantly said they wanted to start with funding them less than half of what it took to make the prototypes. And it it took a lot of money.

Allura had worked up an idea on the spot, talking about another meeting they had to make. It was a lie, but a necessary one. They agreed to reschedule easily enough. It was plain to see that the company - GoodTech, Shiro believed it may have been called - _was_ actually interested. But it had recently been leaked that Voltron was putting trust in ‘children’ as executives with no business practice. Which wasn’t exactly true, or vice versa. There had been gossip nonetheless. Initially Shiro had pegged the source to be Sendak, as his mind often jumped to him, but it became clear that it was simply investigative journalists stalking the company grounds for good news. The magazines weren’t New York papers or anything, but popular nonetheless. They still haven’t really decided how to approach the subject, if they do at all.

Regardless, they’d bought time with the investors and now the three of them were in the elevator heading up to the floor housing their offices and Allura was standing rigid, eyes fixed on the doors and a line creasing the skin between her eyebrows.

“What are you thinking, Allura?” Shiro questioned softly, not thinking that he should probably be comforting though.

“How we’re going to barter, “ Allura snipped.

The tension is stiff and ever so slightly dejected between the three of them. Shiro felt a burden of guilt for the way Hunk had been quiet since the meeting. Shiro could see the focus in his eyes on the ride back, the internal building up of himself to be more determined and work harder, the way he has since they first met months ago. But Shiro could also see the bottom line of wonder; if he had been a bit older and a bit more experienced, could they have done something? Could they have executed the deal?

The magazine leak had snuck under Hunk's skin too, like it had Shiro’s. But Hunk was younger, and deserved better than to feel inadequate when it was Shiro and Allura’s responsibility.

Hunk looked to the floor and back up, across Allura, to meet Shiro’s eyes. They’re doe-y and almost apologetic - no, condoling. Shiro nodded to him as the doors slid open, regealing the others all gathered on the floor in wait as they had promised they would.

It was an hour after their day ends. That hardly stopped most of them from working into nights often enough that it wasn't’ unusual. Shiro exhaled. They would have to explain.

 

* * *

 

  


They establish that they would have a lunch brainstorming session about the investors for their course of action to get funding. Voltron had ample time to weigh the situation on hand before their neck meeting eith GoodTech.

The next morning Shiro received a call that wasn’t a recognized number. Which meant that it wasn't any of the others, for the first time.

Shiro tentatively answered but shook it off and gave a strict introduction, like he had overheard other office people do in the past.

He really should get a pamphlet or instructional video on office business etiquette. Even formal military training hadn’t prepared Shiro for the awkwardness of it. He could do marches without a fumble or hint of self-doubt, but he was far less measured in these… desk manner areas. He doesn’t have a rank, but a title and it’s taking a frustrating amount of time for him to adjust.

He couldn’t decide if he cared more or less when it was Sendak’s gruff voice that rang through the other end of the line.

“The information was correct, then,” of course, Sendak let on no hint as to where and who gave him the information of Shiro’s personal extension rather than contacting secretary who would connect them. “The emailing is a bit boring, isn’t it? When it isn’t punctilious.”

Shiro sunk into his seat and took the office phone off speaker, pressing a finger to the bluetooth device in his ear. “ _You’re_ punctilious, Sendak,” Shiro stated. Like he knew Sendak when really it was the complete opposite. But Shiro’s sure Sendak is aware of that and didn’t need to advertise it any further.

A breath of dark laughter that made the hair on the back of Shiro’s neck raise and his jaw clench.

“One is what they need to be for the challenge in front of them,” the complicated curl of Sendak’s tone around the sentence was a frayed and unresolved edge that Shiro’s mind latched onto, somehow unable to figure it out. Shiro rubbed a hand over his face and waited. Sendak continued, never one to waste a good opportunity, “I called to ask you for your plans this week.”

Plans? Shiro’s attention was revitalized as Sendak was suddenly trying to coerce insider information from him. Again. Sendak must know about the meeting he had with GoodTech. Afterall, it does well for a company to keep up to date on who their funders are dealing with, whether they need to double down and go in for a critical strike on a rival business. It didn’t look like Sendak was going to let up on the chess match they’ve got going.

They don’t have any confirmed plan for the GoodTech consultation, but it’s good to dismantle any attempt at sabotage Galra may make beforehand.

That’s the thin veil of justification at the forefront of Shiro’s mind, anyways, when Sendak followed up with a question: Would Shiro like to meet Thursday night?

He does.

It’s stopping a bank robbery before it happens, and Shiro had always figured he would be a cop if he didn’t go into the military. Even if that’s been proven untrue by his current occupation. In truth, the alien was practically nagging Shiro’s thoughts all day as of current. It was very disturbing for Shiro’s concentration on Voltron.

  
He didn’t say that directly, obviously. Instead, Shiro stayed quiet for a minute before acquiescing: “Where?”


	4. Chapter 4

Sendak petulantly withheld the name of the place he “made reservations” at until that Friday. It was noon when Sendak relented and messaged Shiro the name and location of a place that Shiro knew the route to by heart. Shiro almost choked on his coffee when Sendak emailed him Akai Hana, a Japanese Sushi Bar & Grill in Shiro’s childhood district that he had frequented dozens - no, _hundreds_ \- of times. He’s only gone once in the past year, what with his attention being so heavily focused on Voltron. Shiro simply hadn’t found much time for trivial things like eating out, often ordering Chinese for delivery.

It wasn’t uncanny, and put Shiro entirely at unease. How could Sendak have known? What else did he know?

The questions plagued him after the initial shock of seeing where they’re going to meet. Emotions clashed in the pit of Shiro’s stomach: a wave of wired electricity about seeing Sendak again, the constant nagging doubt and chariness about Sendak - his rival Sendak from the monster corp Galra Enterprises - and an eager, jubilant want to revisit Akai Hana.

It didn’t deter Shiro from getting ready at 6:30 that night. Akai Hana is a simple place, so there was no need for his formal drapes, thank the stars. Shiro preferred almost anything to wearing the suit, despite how much it must cost.

 

A simple man, Shiro settled on a smooth material dress shirt with a normal black jacket over and dark grey pants. It was awkwardly casual to observe himself in the mirror while mentally preparing himself to meet up with Sendak yet again. Especially when compared to their past engagements. At least if Sendak wore something austere then it would be entertaining. Akai Hana’s isn’t like American or European high-class restaurants with their obnoxious dress code and stiff, unsporting waiters. Sendak would be terrible out of place. And seeing as Shiro felt like such often, it would be amusing to see Sendak in a similar state. Given Sendak would feel such a thing as embarrassment.

If so, would Sendak show his embarrassment in fidgets? Surely a blush wouldn’t show through the fur, right? Likely 'no' to both questions, but it was fun to cast speculation as a pastime on the ride over.

 

Sendak was a silhouette in front of the sushi bar’s entrance, grey light slanted through the skyline and cast dark shadows over everything. At least it wasn’t snowing. Shiro was mildly dissappointed that Sendak was not over-dressed, but to his equal interest he wore what Shiro believed to be alien-casual attire. A jacket with odd patterns and color combinations layered over what Shiro wasn’t sure was a fitted one piece designed to look otherwise or a two piece with the top and bottom connected with a peculiar, slim belt. Either way, it worked wonders for Sendak’s figure and Shiro’s adam’s apple bobbed as he paused on the car doors handle for a minute before finally exiting the vehicle.

A smile curved along Sendak’s lips, two rows of canines. His eyes glowed like christmas lights in the settling darkness.

“Like the location? I wanted something nostalgic for you." Sendak said, Shiro unsure if he was teasing or not. "The owner all but kissed my hand out of thanks when I discussed this with them a couple days ago,” Sendak spoke plainly, like there was nothing wrong or weird about what he was saying.

“Sendak - “ Shiro was used to dealing with the bad business first. Getting down to the nitty gritty parts of a situation and basking in whatever good was left over afterwards. So when Sendak talked as though they were friends and not on two opposite sides of a board, strategizing ways to get ahead of the other, Shiro grimaced at him - nearly appalled at the coyness. Or maybe tired of it, imagined or otherwise, “how did you find out about this place?” A beat, and then, “Be honest.” It’s a command, an assertion. A plea. 

Sendak raised one brow at Shiro. “So, no comment about the restaurant, hm?” Shiro stared harshly at him, sending a subliminal message to Sendak. There were several seconds of deliberation on Sendak’s part until he finally said, “Fine. I found out through certain… contacts. I assure you nothing shady. For all my _oh so ruthless_ ways of handling things, if my reputation is believed, I prefer to stick to completely legal routes... mostly.” It was completely evasive and relieved only a fraction of Shiro’s frustration. But, for some reason, Shiro did believe Sendak. “Would you like to eat somewhere else then, Shirogane?” Sendak suggested blazely.

Shiro looked away from Sendak in order to gather himself, a more friendly version. This was Akai Hana’s after all and the last thing Shiro wanted to associate negativity with it. It deserved better. He screwed up his expression for a second before letting it drop and slacken as he returned his gaze to Sendak, “Ah… no, no this is, uh, good.”

Once inside, one of the chefs - also the owner’s wife - released a harping, jubilant laugh and wrapped her arms around Shiro, an action which he gladly returned as they exchanged greetings. There were a few stray others eating in booths, but Shiro was, apparently, their ‘top priority.’ Twice Shiro apologized for staying away too long and ensured that he had missed her restaurant as much as she had missed his company there. Sendak stayed quiet and to Shiro’s peripheral vision until the chef showed them to the bar, where he and Sendak sat beside one another rather than across a table. While the latter was the norm for meetings, Shiro found he didn’t really mind at the moment. He immediately ordered a bowl of edamame and water, not sure if he wanted to touch anything alcoholic yet. Not that his own hesitation stopped Sendak from requesting something from their array of sake.

It was only once their appetizer was delivered that Shiro finally broke the silence between them, “So… GoodTech, then,” he mused lamely. Shiro didn’t want to talk about it there and then, but it was the only plausible reason Sendak would request another face-to-face meeting again. It could hardly be a coincidence he called the day after Shiro and Allura met with the company.

Sendak sighed light-heartedly, cocking his head in Shiro’s direction, “ _So, GoodTech_ ,” reluctance was laced into the name as Sendak echoed it, to Shiro’s surprise, “They’ve got a lot of money. GE helped introduce them to military partnership.”

Bragging, typical. Shiro could use Voltron’s advantages as well. “Voltron’s already got an in there. Allura's father was a general, she knows plenty of ranking officers, as do I. I’m sure GoodTech will see the value.” Shiro would like to see what scathing, derogatory spin Sendak could put on that that would make it seem as though Galra was a step ahead, as always.

Abruptly, Sendak threw a swerve into the budding tangent of conversation, his tone dry, “I do love a good pissing match, Shiro. But my, aren’t you a bit bored of it?”

Shiro's eyes widened. “I - “ he wasn’t quite sure. Because of course he was, he barely wanted to start it in the first place, if it weren’t for the fact of showing Voltron was stronger than Sendak had lackadaisical implied that very first conference with Allura. And did Sendak call him ‘Shiro’ instead of his full last name? Shiro looked away, back down to the menu with a pencil in hand and his brow furrowed tensely. Sendak marked three different rolls, only one a specialty. So Shiro made a few more and decided that he _did_ indeed want something alcoholic. He wasn’t a child who couldn’t hold his beer or anything alike, he simply didn't drink often. It would be an interesting trial to drink with Sendak.

“I guess,” said Shiro in an exhale.

 

* * *

 

They do continue talking about their work - about Galra and Voltron. More candidly, though. Open and objective, rather than for showmanship. They swap stories, incidents, tales of all the hilarious things that have happened. They received the first couple rolls and Shiro critiqued Sendak’s choices. It turned out Sendak had only had sushi once before and no idea what he liked. Avocado, cream cheese, fried or raw; Sendak’s face scrunched up in disgust when he tried a cooked roll but Shiro told him it was rude to spit it out and couldn’t help but stifle a laugh when Sendak choked it down out of respect.

“It was a long time ago, but I remember being a Galra drudge,” Sendak nodded, taking a drink from his sake bottle. Shiro had one arm propped on the counter, his cheek resting against his clenched fist as he listened to Sendak. “It was about as hellish as you could imagine, or remember, in your case. But - “ he shrugged, “no one was as successful as GE. I figured that if I wanted it, “ his lidded eyes bore into Shiro and it felt like an invisible hand had reached into Shiro’s chest cavity and clutched at his heart, teasingly squeezing as if to whisper, ‘Careful, I could crush it in an instant and you’d be dead.’ Shiro blinked and focused on Sendak more carefully, “I mean _really_ wanted it... then I had to be willing to take that path to the same success, except do it better. I had to make waves, and the best way to that was to be merciless and implacable.” Something about the way Sendak said ‘really’ made Shiro drag in a sharp breath.

Shiro sat up and averted his gaze thoughtfully before he let it slant back to the alien beside him, finally remembering who Sendak was in relevance to him. “Right,” Shiro muttered before eyeing Sendak again, with that same distrust he had before his second drink and forth roll of sushi, “well, I’ll have you know that Voltron isn’t the same. We will - _are_ \- succeeding through better means, we do and will continue to have mercy.”

Sendak caught on to the change in Shiro’s tone and smiled, “But you _are_ implacable.”

Shiro stayed quiet, narrowed his eyes as Sendak tapped the claws of his normal hand against the countertop, “There’s nothing inherently ‘bad’ about that one, though. Unless you’re that appalled with sharing characteristics with another accomplished company.” Challenge or not, Shiro couldn’t decide, but it made his teeth grind regardless. “We’re in the same line of work, Shiro. It’s not like monopoly’s are legal, even if Galra has taken measures to prevent as much competition as possible.” A pause, “What I’m saying,’ Sendak stated like it was personal advice from one friend to another, “is that competition and cooperation aren’t black and white. They’re more like… a spectrum. They exist together and are driven by one another.”

Sendak was leaned close and the fact of it didn’t even bother Shiro. Well, it didn’t annoy him, precisely… he thought.

“Just know that I see you, Sendak,” Shiro claimed firmly, staring Sendak down, whose expression shifted to one of rapt intrigue at the sentence. “I know what you’re doing. You’re trying to make nice so I’ll slip up and provide some key information - and that’ll be your _cooperation_. But know this: I’m not going to just roll over on my back for you. Not even this - “ Shiro gestured to their setting, “is enough to make me.”

They maintained eye contact, and Sendak seemed to stare blankly for a half a minute before he started to boil over with soft laughter. Shiro couldn’t help but take offense and reared back, glowering at Sendak. The laughter lasts long enough that Shiro is close to calling a cab to leave. But then Sendak quieted down and spoke to Shiro, who was, despite his previous statement, looking pretty mercilessly at Sendak.

“Oh, I’m sure I could get you on your back, but I wouldn’t waste the opportunity on talking about Voltron. But please, do continue to call my bluff,” innuendo and subtext underlie the statement and Shiro turned beet red at the former.  

“That - _that’s_ not what I - I…” Shiro’s overwhelming mortification is overshadowed by a sudden thought that was far more important than any curveball Sendak may use to throw Shiro off. “Call your bluff…” Shiro murmured his dawning thoughts allowed.

Sendak huffed, “Daydreaming now, are we? I’m so very glad you’re as interested in this as I am, Shiro - “

But Shiro cut him off by hastily whipping out his wallet in talking, “I have to go. I have something to talk about with - “

Shiro stopped short and shook his head as he asked for the bill, “Nevermind. Until next time, Sendak.”

And then Shiro was striding out the front doors with his phone to his ear, leaving Sendak miffed and alone.

 

* * *

 

Allura’s groggy voice answered Shiro’s call from the cab’s backseat, “Shiro? What… time is it…?”

“It’s 11:15 but Allura, I’m on my way home. I’ve got an idea - I think I know a way we can force GoodTech to give us a better deal.”

  
Allura doesn’t reply immediately and Shiro can hear the muffled shifting of blankets and Allura’s body as she adjusted herself. She still sounded tired but much more interested as she tells Shiro, “Hurry up. I’ll get the others on video chat.”


	5. Chapter 5

“And who sponsors this again?” Shiro questioned where he stood in Pidge’s space in R&D. The whole team was gathered there, waiting as Allura helped Pidge get ready in a separate room… within the room. The sectioned off space. The R&D wing was a peculiar one with half-rooms and cluttered, wide open spaces. But so long as the engineers were happy, it didn’t really matter the enigmatic construction. Although Shiro can’t help the way he inspected every contraption lying about.  None of them were his area of expertise but… they looked cool, and Shiro supported whatever Hunk and Pidge made.

“Just some big brand names, rich people. They like hanging out with other rich people, or geniuses, whoever they find interesting at the moment. You know how it goes,” Hunk divulged. Shiro did know, and it worried him a bit that Hunk did too. But he let that fly under the radar. “I’m sure Allura and Coran know all the details.”

“Allura and Coran _do_ know all the details!” Coran’s voice blared into the room along with his entrance as he strutted in. He jabbed a finger at Hunk, “But Hunk’s explanation hits all the important points. You’re all horribly uncultured compared to this crowd - ” several eyes fell on Coran at once, all like piercing daggers, “in their opinion. But you’ve got your genius minds and a great CEO securing a multi-million dollar deal as the head of a baby corporation so you’ve turned heads. They’ll think you’re slobbish natures are charming… probably.”

"You guys wanna bet I can bag someone rich - ?" Lance asked.

Then Allura walked in with Pidge, her hair styled back in very a slick way and clad in a fitted three piece, sans the jacket. Shiro smiled, mirroring the prideful glee evident on Allura’s face behind the young girl.

Since Pidge had been the last to get dressed up, it meant that they were all set to leave in the car waiting outside for them. Thank God Lance had talked Keith out of his insistence to his motorbike.

 

* * *

 

The gala is held in an uptown banquet hall. Shiro had been in similar ones before, but every time their ambience gave Shiro the itch to adjust his collar and clear his throat. He hated them, but on the way in Allura took him by the shoulder and held him back while the others went ahead.

Only long enough to rest a hand on his cheek and say: “Try and enjoy yourself too, okay? We’re all here. I’m staying with Pidge.”

The sentiment mattered. Shiro smiled softly and genuinely and decided _alright_. He certainly wanted to, he hoped he could. Although he didn’t see how he could relax in a room packed to the brim with corporate uniforms who were born making the salary Shiro was lucky enough to find heading up Voltron.

Not to mention Sendak. If Voltron had been invited, then there was no doubt that GE had been too.  


 

All of Shiro’s worries were cast away when he finally made it down the hallway to the banquet hall. It was absolutely not like any other gala Shiro had ever been to. Those were more… ceremonies, charity events, things where people liked to talk about their achievements or perfectly coiffed pedigree to a room full of quiet people obligated to listen by social etiquette. This was… _a part_.

The grand, high rise ceiling hall was magnificently strewn with different colored lights, a booth was set up on the other end of the space that bass and electronics boomed from, making the floor throb. Throngs of people formed the crowd that danced through the room, leading up into a higher area, a lofted second floor that Shiro wasn’t sure required you to be VIP or not. After all, everyone there was supposed to be. 

While unexpected, you could tell the host and occupants were filthy rich. It hung in the high, chirruped laughter and of the women in tight ten thousand dollar cocktail dresses and the the superiority-complex accented tones of men in similarly priced suits. 

But no wonder Allura had tried to tell him it would be fine to unwind. He doubted anyone here was bothering with class. Likely, all the staff had to sign some sort of gag contract, making them legally not allowed to discuss the incidents they witness - a suspicion that got confirmed thirty minutes later when Shiro was lingering at the buffet and unintentionally eavesdropping on the waiters wasting time nearby. He’d made the mistake of swinging his head in their direction, champagne glass in hand, probably looking like the type to snitch on them as they sneered and strutted away.

It was about that moment realized he was drinking champagne and standing alone in a room full of people. A scan of the room and Shiro could see Lance and Keith and - and Haxus? Lance was making some sort of ridiculous face at Sendak’s assistant, who looked thoroughly bemused staring at him with his arms crossed. Then Lance mouthed something Shiro had no hope of knowing and Haxus looked stunned with wide eyes, disbelieving. Then both he _and_ Lance burst into laughter, and Shiro can’t help but be in awe of Lance. He didn’t dare think Haxus had any other expressions other than a scowl or a degrading smirk. And he wondered if the two had ever met previous to the night.

Beside them, Keith is chatting happily with a stranger, but she seemed to be pretty and none too shy as her hand clutched at Keith’s sleeve.

All three of them have glasses in their hands and Shiro can just tell that the drinks are alcoholic. They wouldn’t pass up such a prime opportunity. With a sigh, Shiro tilted his head and decided that he might as well. He found himself a glass of something harder and more potent, and then again, and again.

It’s the fourth drink and almost and hour later that Shiro went to fetch from one of the tables - most of the waiting staff having disappeared - and had in hand, swivelling around on his heels, when he caught the eye of someone he could recognize a mile away and among a sea of people, not least because of his size in relation to them. Which was, as always, considerable.

Both Shiro’s eyebrows raised and his irises lit up. He took a drink from his glass, upholding Sendak’s eye contact. Flustered feelings and a desire to speak with Sendak come together like flint and iron inside Shiro, sending sparks through his body. But that was… not… what? Shiro had an excusable reason to not want to debate with Sendak anymore, a plausible one that he could feed himself, but suddenly he didn’t quite care. He jerked his head away, pinpointing the doors the lead to one of the many side hallways. What he really needed was some air, he figured, as he glanced back to Sendak’s face one more time before winding back to them.

 

* * *

  


Shiro hadn’t realized how musky and foggy the air of the hall had been, practically smothering in heaviness, until he surfaced into the hallway - filled to the brim with fresh air. His own drink had been forgotten on the table on his way out, but Shiro can pick up another when he returned.

If he returned.

The thought was prompted by the door being pushed open a second time. Shiro looked over his shoulder to see Sendak. A huff of air left his lungs and Shiro thought that it was in a rush of relief. After all, _anyone_ could have followed him out here. And it was Sendak. That’s nice.

Was it nice? Oh, Shiro had so many thoughts in his head. Instead he turned around to face Sendak, smiling because that’s polite in other’s company, especially when they’re as prestigious as Sendak.

“Enjoying the party?” Shiro asked.

“Very,” answered Sendak. He moved at a casual, languid pace to the place directly in front of Shiro, “I’ve got to say. I’m pleased that you could make it tonight, I don’t believe I would have enjoyed it nearly as much.”

The complement is jarring. The back of Shiro’s mind tried to raise a flag but the better half of his thoughts decided unanimously to go with throwing his head back and letting out a bubbling bout of laughter. “You’re weird, Sendak. You know that? Sometimes I just don’t even know what do around you, aside from argue,” Shiro shrugged, quelled, “But I guess you don’t mind given how many conferences you’ve requested.”

“‘Conferences?’” Sendak repeated blankly for a moment, staring at Shiro. Staring Shiro down. God, he was so tall that it made Shiro’s mouth dry. Everything about Sendak was just so… different. Grand. God, tall. Shiro had to tilt his head back almost annoyingly in order to keep eye contact. Sendak’s lips parted an amused breath, smiling gently, “Three drinks deep, hm.” Shiro wasn’t sure if Sendak’s talking about himself or Shiro. Probably both.

Sendak leaned down and Shiro’s eyes went wide as he swayed away from Sendak’s motion, thinking that Sendak was - Sendak tried to -

“Are you - ?” Shiro sputtered, perplexed as he stared at Sendak, who looked stalled by Shiro’s backtracking and about to pull away. But the ‘better part’ of Shiro’s less than stellar critical thought process rejected the idea of letting Sendak leave. Both of Shiro's hands suddenly grab at the cloth over Sendak’s shoulders as he leaned in and pressed  his lips to Sendak’s.

And just like that simple sparks caught fire in the pit of Shiro’s stomach. Shiro was struck and transfixed by what he was doing, about the scene he was laying out. He pulled Sendak down to him and Sendak nudged Shiro back and against the hall. This wasn’t something Shiro did, it was... irresponsible, supplied that shadowed back of his mind. But Shiro enjoyed it so much, Sendak smelled like foreign cologne and want. Neither of them were _really_ drunk, if the three drinks were to be believed, but damn - it made the situation seem more plausible. Shiro’s hand clawed over Sendak’s shoulder and Sendak hummed against his lips. Shiro ran his tongue along the seam of Sendak’s lips, which spread so that they could taste each other, share the hint of alcohol on their tongues and all the little confessions hidden beneath their tongues.

“You taste sweet,” Sendak murmured in a momentary break.

“Do I?” Was all Shiro said in return as Sendak turned his head and pressed a kiss to the side of his jaw.

“Mh, I thought you would, Shiro. And yet you smell like a plane hangar, beneath everything else,” Sendak mused and Shiro pulled back to stare at Sendak.

“You thought about that?”

“A bit, yes.” Sendak leaned in again but Shiro stared at one of the wall lights casting a low yellow light around them. Did Sendak deliberate the way Shiro would taste, the way he would smell, before now? The thought formed a rock in Shiro’s throat, choking him. In a single second Shiro was very soberly unsure of what he is doing - _why_ he was letting himself do it. His head flashed with images, from Sendak looking professional and grim with Haxus beside him, to their emails, coffee in a small time shop, dinner at one of Shiro’s favorite places.

  
Shiro pressed both palms flat against Sendak’s chest and applied some pressure to make it clear. Sendak stilled and then obliged, stepping away from him and looking oddly at him with some form of rejection, Shiro feared. Shiro felt like an exposed wire, he thinks Sendak did too - leaving a trail of electricity and shock and burn wounds behind him. The tension wound around the two of them: barely a foot apart, Shiro against the wall. But he didn’t know another way, “I promised the others I wouldn’t stay away long.” An outright lie, it didn’t sit right with Shiro but both he and Sendak knew it's true nature, so at least this was a two way street. Sendak let Shiro have that, even if he was no longer smiling, thanks to Shiro and his indecisive confusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The entire time leading up to this I was like @ me bitch you better not even VAGUE anything about Lance and Haxus being pals okay but I did sorry


	6. Chapter 6

Three days after New Years, Voltron secured the GoodTech deal with five times the funding they were initially offering. You would think no one on the team had won anything in their lives for how ecstatic their reactions were, Shiro’s included. When Shiro and Allura returned to the office to a tense and anxious team, contract in hand, the stress flooded space decompressed all at once, like a lid trapping stream had been lifted off the room. They all felt it. There was laughter, recounting of the meeting, warm embraces, and pizza when they all retired to the mansion and spent the night together watching movies and feeling victorious.

“So you _really_ did just threaten to release all of our Bayard and ship blueprints to the public? How in the world did you get away with that? Were you serious?”

It’s pushing 2 am and Shiro and Coran are the only ones awake in the home. They’re leaned over the kitchen island, drinking tea and still feeling the buzz of a happy ending.

Shiro pursed his lips and thought. His head tilted as he settled on an answer and spoke in a mildly hushed tone, everyone else was asleep just through the archway in the livingroom. “I mean, the patents came through the day before New Years, so they were our plans to leak anyways. It’s… pretty simple, I mean, leaking them would mean they were at every other company and ambitious college engineer’s fingertips. They’re innovative new ideas and products, but once everyone had access to their construction, there’d be no value and well - GoodTech would lose out on all of the profits it could make. They just needed a little nudge in the right direction to see that,” explained Shiro and raised the mug to his lips to take a drink. “As for if I was _serious_ , well… I guess it’s more about whether they were willing risk their losses if they bet on us bluffing, really.”

Coran processed the words and then smiled deeply, “You’re ever the smart man, Shiro,” he laughed, as did Shiro.

They drank their tea in the silence of each other’s company for another minute before Coran broke the silence with a soft ‘oh’ as something occurred to him, “So, do you and Sendak have plans to celebrate privately then?”

“Wh -” Shiro spits up some of his tea in surprise, the chair squeaking on the floor as he shoved away from the counter to keep from the spill dripping onto his pyjama bottoms, “What?” Shiro coughed moving towards the opposite counter to get some paper towels. Coran looked at Shiro weirdly, like what he had said wasn’t completely ridiculous. “Why would you think that?”  

Shiro wasn’t sure how to act normal all of a sudden. His chest felt stuffed full of demure embarrassment at the insinuation - even though Coran hadn’t yet elaborated on _what_ the insinuation was.

“Oh, well, you’ve been seeing him for a while now, haven’t you? More than a month, if I’m recalling correctly?”

Absolutely mad. Shiro had no idea what the assumption could possibly have been built on.

The confusion must be evident on Shiro’s face, as he no longer had the mind to be wary of his expression. He was far too focused on Coran being under the impression that Shiro was -

 _Was seeing Sendak_. The thought sent a chill down Shiro’s spine and made his mouth dry.

“Yeah!” Coran stated, like it was obvious. Like he wasn’t deluded. “At first, when you met him for coffee, I figured he was trying to make you leak something on Voltron but - “ Coran laughed shortly, “like you’d ever do that. But you were there for hours, three to be exact, who takes that long to reject an under-the-table deal, right?”

“I thought it was odd, and I worried that maybe you did leak when Pidge’s GE scanner-program pinged me that a Galra connection had been flagged on your server.”

“GE scanner-program?” Shiro interjected curiously.

Coran leaned in secretively, “Yeah, she set up this scanner-thingy that alerts me of any Galra ‘infiltrations’ in our servers. It’s supposed to scan for any bugs or something, to make sure they don’t hack us - it alerted me about your emails, but don’t worry I believed you weren’t doing anything shady… after a quick skim. But anyways, you should talk to Pidge about it - make sure it’s, er, _legal,_  to have that sort of thing in the systems.”

Shiro nodded, feeling his cheeks burn a bit. “You may have been vague when you left but you filed the coffee meeting, like procedure asks, so. And then, Haxus came asking around the team - ”

Shiro sat up, surprised with the turn. Coran nodded sympathetically. “He was definitely unpleasant, but said Sendak knew we were friends - that he was taking you on a date and wanted to know of any recommendations. Poor alien was pretty unhappy to be asking too, especially after having questioned Lance and Hunk and them - but I directed him to Allura for that - “ Shiro had went to Akai Hana’s with Allura months ago, the one night in a blue moon Shiro had decided to treat himself to going out to eat, “and I don’t know. It made sense, with the coffee and the emails - I got a notification for **_every_ ** _one_ , it was awfully interruptive. Had to make Pidge fix it.”

Shiro spasmed and felt his heart clench. “So, if Haxus went - and Pidge - does - does _everyone_ think me and Sendak are - ?”

Shiro pressed his lips together for hardly a second before he answered: “I suppose so. I think we were trying to make you comfortable since you hadn’t confided in us. We all trust you wouldn’t put Voltron at stake, so, it’s probable.”

Shiro must go into a state of shock because when he resumed to his and Coran’s conversation, Coran was already in the middle of a sentence that Shiro had no recollection of the start, “ - and lie down. Tea can really put an Altean to sleep, y’know.” Coran pushed up from his seat with a yawn and took his cup to the sink before heading out of the kitchen, leaving Shiro alone with his thoughts.

Sendak sent Haxus to ask about places to take him and, if Coran was the reliable source he mostly could be, had directed it under the pretense of a ‘date.’ All the emails, the oddly cryptic way Sendak would talk so friendly during what Shiro had assumed were meetings. Shiro was too tired for the revelation but it happens anyways. How could he have been so oblivious? He thought about his own tension, the way Shiro directly allocated all thoughts about Sendak into a pit of childish rivalry.

Shiro set his cup down and buried his face in hands with a groan of self-loathing. There’d been so much frustration building up and Shiro could see now that it had been because of denial.

Except on New Years.

 _New Years_. Shiro groaned louder. Of course he hadn’t forgotten the kiss but he had been feverishly trying to ignore it. He had been taping off everything that was Voltron, so that he could give the company his full attention while they tried to get off the ground.

Shiro suddenly looked up, staring off. They were off the ground, though, now. With the GoodTech deal sealed, and Allura already setting up another meeting with her military contacts that are sure to secure them a spot in supplying the, with their newest tech - Voltron was close to touching the clouds.

The memory of New Years brought with it the ghostly memory of Sendak’s lips on his. That was never supposed to happen, and even so, it shouldn’t have made Shiro’s heart flutter emotionally to in response. But now Shiro recalled every tender and sly smirk and the glow of Sendak’s eyes in the dark as he watched Shiro approach. Everything about Sendak filled Shiro with a startling _urge_ and well -

  
Shiro wasn’t one to put half an effort into an action, even if he had started it unconsciously.


	7. Chapter 7

_3 Weeks Later_

It was a lot easier to call Sendak at 1 in the morning than Shiro figured it would, both internally and realistically. But Sendak had picked up and -

They _talked_. Sendak was understanding, although Shiro thought that was because Sendak was simply waiting for Shiro’s cluelessness to subside. He was confident it would blow over, which Shiro wasn’t sure if he should have taken offensively or not. It’s forgotten the next day when the two of them go on an actual date - one where they’re both aware it’s a date.

After that it got a lot easier. Shiro no longer had an obscured source of stress, and in it’s place had Sendak - who, true to Shiro’s unforeseen instincts the night he called Sendak, he actually liked. A whole lot.

  
  


“You taste like sushi,” Sendak said, more hungrily than observationally - despite the two of the having eaten less than thirty minutes ago.

“You think so?” Shiro smiled against Sendak’s lips. The two of them had barely gotten in the door of Sendak’s luxurious, purple accented apartment. It’s only the second time he’s been inside of it, and Shiro didn’t care to look around what with Sendak having immediately started peppering Shiro with kisses.

“I know so,” he stated mirthfully, one hand taking Shiro’s chin as he parted his lips so that they could really kiss. Their tongues licked into one another's mouths and Shiro felt Sendak’s other hand curl around his waist. Shiro found out quickly that Sendak had a more proportionate, smaller prosthetic arm. It was fortunate, for convenience, although Shiro would like to discuss using it… recreationally. Eventually.

But first things first, they’d have to actually get intimate.

Shiro breathed hotly as Sendak pulled away, tugging at Sendak’s coat to bring him closer and undulate seductively against Sendak. Trying to incite him. He tilted his head up and kissed Sendak again, deeper this time and felt the gentle burning in his stomach, making his chest feel heated. Sendak hummed into Shiro’s mouth as Shiro’s hands moved to slide up his chest and over his shoulders and tighten around his neck. As if Shiro had given a cue by doing so - which he wouldn’t argue - Sendak wound both arms around his waist and hoisted him up and onto the back of his couch easy as a feather.

Shiro wasn’t small or slim. He was broad shouldered, tall, and he went to the gym regularly - rarely had Shiro ever been with someone even slightly larger than himself. To be with Sendak, who wasn’t taller by a hair or an inch, but pillared over Shiro - he couldn’t lie, it was intoxicating. Everything about Shiro became small in comparison and Shiro had come more than once to the thought through his own nightly ministrations. Everything with Sendak had been going so sweetly and patiently but _damn_ , Shiro was ready for more. He _craved_ it.

Sendak pulled his head back and let Shiro chase his lips for a few seconds while keeping them just out of range. Sendak’s hand massaged Shiro’s thigh lightly as grinned down at him. “Shirogane, are you trying to get me to bed?” Sendak asked, not attempting to sound coy.

Shiro huffed the beginning of a laugh and leaned his head back, curling his fingers into the fur on the back of Sendak’s neck and meeting his gaze once more. “I don’t know, “ he said for a minute before correcting himself, “Yes.”

Sendak made something on the edge of a growl that made Shiro’s cock twitch with the start of an erection. “Finally,” Sendak said, pulling Shiro against him tightly and spinning them around, twirling Shiro off the couch to carry him to his bedroom and promptly drop Shiro onto the mattress. Sendak was a skyscraper standing in front of Shiro, just the sight made his breath catch and suddenly Shiro was feeling intimidated.

Only Sendak’s coat and shirt has been shed when he caught Shiro’s eye and slowed. “Regretful?” The single word wasn’t an accusation or judgement. It was more of a suggestion, as if they could drop what they were doing and watch a movie instead.

“No,” he shook his head, and meant it. “No, it’s just…” Shiro propped himself up one one arm and rubbed the back of his neck timidly, “It’s been a while. And I’ve…”

Sendak smiled, feral and far happier than Shiro thought he should be. “Been with a non-human?” the question was rhetorical. His eyes raked down Shiro’s body and swiped his tongue over his lower lip, looking entirely pleased at the thought. “If _that’s_ what you’re worried about, then it’s pretty simple:” Sendak started. He kneeled on the bed, making the mattress dip on the left side of Shiro’s body. “The same rules as usual apply in the basic sense. All that matters is whether you’re in pain, or want to stop.” his other leg nudged Shiro’s apart so he could plant his knee between his thighs. One of Sendak’s hands clutched the sheets beside Shiro’s head as Sendak leaned over him, shadowing Shiro wholly. “To which, you just need to say ‘red light.’” There was a pause as Sendak waited for acknowledgement and Shiro nodded comprehensively, feeling stifled and speechless under Sendak. But that wasn’t enough. Sendak clucked a couple times and trailed his thumb over Shiro’s lower lip, “Use your words.”

“Y-yeah. Yes. Sorry,” Shiro forced out, unable to break his eye contact with Sendak and feeling more than mesmerized.

Sendak's mouth quirked to one side. “Do you like being told what to do, Shiro?”

Shiro’s jaw dropped, words almost forming in his throat but not fully. It was disarming the way Sendak so easily pressed all of Shiro’s buttons and then some. His low, gravelly voice reverberated in a laugh that made his chest feel tight. “ _Words_.” Sendak repeated in an even more commanding tone. Shiro was a natural born leader, but Sendak was a natural born tyrant. One who was smug and a bit cruel in all the most attractive ways.

“Yes,” breathed Shiro. It just felt so nice. To feel like you didn’t have to do anything but listen and comply. Don’t get him wrong, Shiro knew he was a good leader, he knows he works well under responsibility, and with competence. But on the off-days, when Shiro isn’t clock? It’s nice to not have to dole out orders, it’s downright therapeutic.

“Mmh,” Sendak hummed deeply, “I knew there was something extra special about you.” his hand smoothed down Shiro’s clothed abdomen to cup the erection trapped beneath Shiro’s pants. Shiro pushed his hips up into Sendak’s palm and bit his lip, reveling in the friction. Then the firm press of Sendak’s prosthetic hand pulled away. That was the cruel part of his personality. “Get undressed, I’ll be back.” Then Sendak was sitting back on his haunches before he stood and strolled to the adjoined bathroom, Shiro assumed to grab lube. He exhaled shakily, his cock hard and distracting. Then Shiro sat up as well and began shedding his own layers of clothing efficiently.

He bit his lip as he came to his underwear and then slid them off, tossing them with the rest of his clothes. Anticipation coiled tight in Shiro’s gut as he waited for Sendak to return, dropping onto back on his bed. The sheets are silky and slippery against Shiro’s skin, much better quality than Shiro’s target brand, although he did think his own were comfortable enough. The air conditioning in Sendak’s apartment is slightly more chilly than Shiro is accustomed to, but Sendak was probably indifferent to a little coolness. It made goosebumps prickle along Shiro’s exposed skin.

It took a couple of tense minutes of Shiro waiting, staring at the ceiling and trying to fathom what it will be like to fuck Sendak. To have Sendak inside of him and around him. Encompassing everything. Shiro refrained from touching himself so he could savor every moment soon to come, but it wasn’t easy. But finally Sendak returned, completely naked with a bottle and a couple condoms in hand. “And you don’t have to worry. I’ve been with humans before.” Sendak assured Shiro, burned a bit redder at the additional information. In a way, Sendak was a new first for Shiro.

An awe-filled look at Sendak’s cock confirmed Shiro’s daydreaming about whether or not Sendak would be considerably larger and… _different_ looking. It was implied, sure, but Shiro had it - the real thing - before his eyes and the base of it had to be at least the circumference of Shiro’s wrist. Drool pooling in his mouth as a reaction and Shiro had to ground himself, meeting Sendak’s eyes again. They were lidded and confident. “You look so _delectable_ , Shiro. Staring at my cock like that.” Sendak intoned thoughtfully, running his free hand through Shiro’s hair and tipping his head back. “It doesn’t scare you?”

Shiro shook his head vehemently. In fact, Shiro had never wanted any cock as much as he wanted Sendak’s in that moment.

A cheshire grin of sharp teeth beamed down at Shiro, who tried and failed to keep his breathing steady and calm. “Good,” Sendak murmured. The word echoed through Shiro’s head, resounding with the desire, oh-so-subtly frantic, to hear it again. “Very nice.” The hand that was petting Shiro smoothed down along his cheek until Sendak teased the line of Shiro’s lips again, his eyes burning even brighter as Shiro made the immediate decision to part them and let Sendak’s thumb slide over his tongue, which worked to lap at the underside of the phalange. Shiro bobbed his head back and kept the tip of Sendak’s thumb just barely inside his mouth before taking it back down to the second knuckle. Shiro could hear the way Sendak was purring. A rolling, rumbling noise  somewhere deep in the cavern of his chest and all Shiro could think was about _good_. He wanted to hear it again so bad.

Now Sendak was fully erect and after dazedly watching Shiro suck his finger off for several moments longer, snapped himself out of it removed his hand. “You’re the first to be so eager, for a xenophilic virgin.”

Shiro smiled with an absent-minded coyness.

Then Sendak dropped the lube onto the bed and dipped down to press a heated kiss to Shiro’s lips. As Sendak settled in close, Shiro spread his legs and allowed Sendak to press his hand to his thigh and take hold - leveraging to push Shiro down the bed to allow more space for himself. It was easy because of Sendak’s strength, but also with the smoothness of the sheets. Maybe that was really why Sendak had gotten them.

Sendak moved the hand on Shiro’s thigh down under the crook of his knee and whispered, “You’re so soft and supple, Shiro.” And the last thing Shiro had expected to be called was _soft_ and _supple_ , in the same sentence - but he supposed Sendak would think so, and it made Shiro feel good to gear. Sendak paused, letting Shiro go so he could pop the cap on the lube and pour some onto his hand. The hand return to Shiro’s thigh and slid to the crook of Shiro’s knee, lifting Shiro’s leg up and to the side and leaving Shiro exposed. Sendak’s index finger prodded at the tight ring of Shiro’s hole only once before breaching him. Shiro made little more than a muffled hiss. It felt suddenly more like forever since Shiro had had this rather than a little less than half a year. Sendak’s finger was entirely disproportionate to the usual that Shiro had ever grown accustomed to for preparing himself - mainly being his own. Already Shiro could tell that taking Sendak’s cock would be an entirely higher level in itself, even compared to this. Shiro hitched his hips minutely, relaxed, and then pushed back a bit - ignoring the light burn of resistance against his insides with a shuddering exhale.

“Yes,” Sendak huffed, his tone considerably lower in octave thanks to the heavy dose of arousal in his system now.

Sendak spent a short minute on the one finger. When the slide started to get better Sendak added a second and then Shiro was truly starting to feel it. The two digits were most definitely the size of a normal cock. On the first thrust of the two together, Shiro gasped and one hand curled into the sheet while the other covered his mouth like an idle fidget to muffle the sound. “Put your hand down, I want to hear you,” Sendak said, pausing his hand as he was sliding the fingers back out of Shiro, who whimpered and muttered something into his palm. Sendak dropped Shiro’s leg and let it drape over his thigh, instead taking Shiro’s raised hand and pinning it by the wrist beside Shiro’s head. Sendak quickly pushed his fingers into Shiro’s heat once more, picking up a slow pace of fingering Shiro as he reiterated: “I want to hear you, Shiro. Now repeat whatever you said.” The two digits inside Shiro scissored and twisted and made Shiro’s toes curl as he moaned, trying to remember words so he could comply.

Haughty breathes escaped Shiro as he spoke, “So big - _much_ \- “ was all Shiro managed.   


“Mm, you’ve got another finger and then my cock to go still, Shiro.” Sendak both warned and challenged, eyeing Shiro, “Do you still want it? Do you think you can take it?”

“I will,” Shiro claimed, his chest puffed. “I want it. I want _you_ ,” affirmed Shiro as he tried to find enough momentum to properly ride Sendak’s fingers. Sendak grinned and continued his movements.

Soon Sendak inserted a third Shiro that had him writhing in place. A litany of small noises poured steadily from Shiro’s lips as he twisted and tried to catch that special angle so Sendak’s fingers would send electricity through Shiro’s veins. But to no avail, Shiro merely managed to keen and feel the slick stretch of Sendak’s fingers that had long since stopped burning with the added lube. Every time Sendak’s fingers brushed teasingly close to Shiro’s prostate Shiro made pitched, needy noise  and every time Sendak would pull his hand back and deny Shiro the satisfaction.

After several patient minutes of that - Sendak stretching him and setting Shiro’s nerves on fire - he’d had enough.

“Please, Sendak,” Shiro gasped, slightly in awe he could find the words, “I’m ready.”

Sendak smiled ravenously and dropped his head so his face hovered just a few inches over Shiro’s. He paused in his ministrations for a second and then replied lazily with, “If you say so.” and dipped to catch Shiro’s mouth in another transient kiss that was shallow and quick. Then Sendak sat back reached for one of the condoms, the telltale sound of the wrapping ripped before Sendak spread it over himself along with more lube. He settled back in front of Shiro and instructed him: “On your stomach.” It’ll be easier to take him, Shiro knew, and Sendak knew. But the way Sendak said it - it gave the dreamy ambience of command that Shiro yielded to so easily.  Shiro rolled over and stretched out, trying to relax but feeling his every sinew teetering with a taut anticipation.

A hand came to grip Shiro’s waist firmly, jerking upward and pulling Shiro to his knees while his face stayed against the sheets. Shiro bit his lip as Sendak’s other hand smoothed over his ass and held Shiro open, proffering Shiro’s hole as he aligned his cock.

A sharp breath was sucked in by Shiro as Sendak breached him, filled him. Because it’s so nice. It’s nice, and it drove Shiro out of his mind and scratched that rawest point within Shiro and made him revisit that old idea that Sendak was a divine hand, a generous semi-ethereal being with a cock like _wow_. It freed heavy, heated noises from the depths of Shiro’s chest as Sendak pressed in without pause at a tedious and torturous pace that Shiro reveled in.

It felt like forever before Sendak was buried to the hilt inside of Shiro, whose hand reached back blindly to grip at something - to touch Sendak and not just be touched by him. Shiro’s hand found Sendak abdomen, grazing over the thin layer of fur and feeling the hard muscle beneath. That doesn’t last because Sendak used the hand holding Shiro’s hips up to take Shiro’s wrist, and then the other, and pin them above his head. Sendak’s mouth was beside Shiro’s ear as he spoke, his voice husky and hot. “You feel good. Tight like a vice around my cock and so _willing_ and _wanting_.”

God, the eroticism of being held down and of Sendak’s voice - his words - they pushed Shiro deeper into the smog of lust engulfing him. But it was the press of Sendak’s hips flush against Shiro’s ass that really did it. The position had Sendak grinding impossibly close and into Shiro. He did a miniscule roll of his hips and Shiro groaned low and haughtily.

Sendak pulled out halfway and picked up a solid pace. The sound of whimpering - Shiro’s own? - filled the air, accompanied by the slap of skin on skin.

Soon after though Sendak released Shiro’s hands. “Grip the headboard, nothing else.” Sendak breathed into the air. A strong forearm pressed across Shiro’s shoulders as he complied, Sendak’s other hand propped him up. Sendak’s hips pulled back, his cock pulling out of Shiro almost all they way as he hissed and then gasped in a wild exhale beneath Sendak. With a fervid snap of his hips, Sendak thrust back into Shiro. His whole body felt on fire. Electrified. Shiro jolted on impact with a high moan that sounded so uncharacteristic. Sendak held then, sluggishly rutting into Shiro in small circles. “Mmh, do you like that, Shiro?” Shiro groaned, turning his head to the side to looking back at Shiro - his mouth agape and eyes burning with hunger. It was a look that said it all.

Sendak fucked Shiro with a passion charged fervor and with every thrust Shiro felt the intoxicating cloud of lust grow more thick, more dense. His hands held the headboard in with white knuckled fists, his teeth ground together every second that Shiro wasn’t gasping and panting, trying to catch his breath and unable to stop the flood of noises Sendak trawled out of him.

The arm forcing Shiro’s chest into the mattress let up, the hand inside moving to hold the nape of Shiro’s neck as Sendak dipped down and ran his tongue along Shiro’s spine. Shiro could dimly hear murmured encouragements and sweet nothings Sendak spoke between lusty grunts and labored breaths.

“ -  the loveliest noises  - “

The world sharpened as Sendak struck gold against Shiro’s prostate. Shiro bucked back unabashedly with a yelp.

“  - like that. So good, you’re - “

Sendak kept going, adjusted his angle to catch the same spot on as many thrusts as possible. Shiro keened, he _mewled_ and Sendak purred from deep in his chest as Shiro clenched and tightened around him.

“ - taking me _so well_. Are you close?”

Shiro was. He was teetering on the edge of that blissful abyss. The one he desperately wanted to drown in and that smelled and felt like everything Sendak was. _Fuck_ , Sendak felt so amazing. He almost _couldn’t_ take it. It was driving him out of his mind, right into the arms of an orgasm. Did Shiro say that out loud? He wasn’t sure, but Sendak laughed low and hardy. “Me too,” Sendak said.

“C’mon,” Sendak pushed - and pushed and pushed. His hand left Shiro’s neck and Shiro was hauled upwards by Sendak’s metal one wrapping around his chest, lifting Shiro and allowing space for his other to instead wrap around the base of his cock and tug. Twice the stimulation had Shiro completely saturated to the fullest extent with stimulation and it took les than a dozen pumps - Shiro fucking both into Sendak’s fist and back against his cock - before he was coming with a shout onto the silky soft sheets beneath. Shiro’s whole body pulled tight and twitched, and Sendak’s hips stuttered once - twice - before Sendak made a strangled sound and stilled, indicating that he had finished as well.

Then it was simply their mutual panting. Sendak withdrew from Shiro, leaving a gaping emptiness, and ran his thumb around the abused rim of Shiro’s entrance. It made Shiro shudder and he pushed himself up onto his forearms, shaking ever so slightly as Sendak dropped to his side on the bed, pressing a kiss to Shiro’s shoulder and then meeting Shiro’s eyes. They both smile and Shiro laughed softly before turning on his back.

“That was nice,” Shiro muttered as he stretched out while Sendak got to his feet to stroll off to the bathroom again, an agreeing, “Mm,” in his wake.

Shiro lied in place for a while and waited for Sendak to come back as he stared at the ceiling. He felt… satiated. But at the same time he wanted more. More sex, more time spent just them, basking in this sort of glow.

Maybe this was a honeymoon phase and the stress of being a part of rival companies would start to pile on. But for now, this was nice. There was still a lot that would need to be sorted out, but Shiro felt like they could handle it. He would like to hope so, anyways.

As Sendak returned, brushing his teeth, Shiro looked over. “Allura said she would like to have lunch sometime soon.”

“The president?” Sendak said around the foam in his mouth. He backtracked to the bathroom to spit out the toothpaste and rinse before returning. “Miss Allura would like to have lunch? With me as well as you?” They were less questions and more Sendak repeating the words and weighing the idea.

“Interesting.”

“Indeed,” Shiro stated, “but I want to do it. She is my best friend after all.”

“Alright.” Sendak conceded openly and dropped back onto the bed to cover Shiro’s body with his own and tug him into an open mouthed kiss once more. “So long as we don’t discuss our Galra. Or Voltron.”

  
“Happily.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this is kind of lackluster in ending??? I rewrote it like three times because nothing was working and it was frustrating. But I really did try.


End file.
